Granite Tiles: Markham

Granite tiles are a beautiful and durable flooring option. Stone tiles also look elegant when used as a kitchen backsplash or around tubs and sinks in the bathroom. Markham homeowners have a number of excellent options for sourcing stone tile in their area, including companies with large showrooms. If you have an image in your mind of what granite tiles look like, you may be amazed when you see the variety of colours and patterns on display in the showroom of a fine stone company!

Granite 101

Granite is a type of stone formed when molten magma flows between layers of rock. Heat and pressure form liquid mineral grains, almost always quartz and feldspar, into a layer of its own. As the granite cools over a long period of time, other minerals may be incorporated into it, including hornblende, biotite and muscovite, as well as minor accessory minerals like magnetite, garnet, zircon and apatite. The quartz and feldspar give the stone a light colour, usually off-white or pink, but the accessory minerals add more colour and patterning. Therefore, granite can range from simple to exotic.

Granite is a very strong and attractive material that has been used for centuries. Ancient Egyptians used the stone for construction, as did the ancient Romans, who built baths, roads and columns from granite. Aberdeen, Scotland is known as the "Granite City” because it features a large number of pale granite buildings and New Hampshire has been nicknamed the "Granite State” due to the numerous quarries there. Modern monuments are often built from granite, including the black V-shaped wall of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London's Hyde Park. Granite is quarried in many different regions of the world and is known by geologists as Earth's "signature” rock, since it doesn't appear to exist on any other planet.

A World of Colour

To truly understand the many beautiful types of granite available, you must visit a showroom. You may find that you prefer traditional types of granite. The depth of a beautiful black stone can be compelling, while a white stone flecked with black adds a classic feeling to any room. Italian verde (green)or light brown catches the light, naturally drawing attention and creating the feeling of texture. Traditional granite is available in a range of colours, including silvery-white, off-white and white with highlights, various shades of green, black, black with flecks or highlights, and a wide variety of browns from fawn to café au lait to mahogany.

If you prefer a more dramatic look, then exotic granite varieties are for you! These types of stone include traditional colours that feature striking patterns, flecks and streaks, as well as stone of unusually brilliant colour. They range from jewel-toned blue granite to mustard yellow shades, from pink veined with black to cream featuring honeycomb patterning, from iron red with black striations to stone with rivers of various colours running through it.

Visit a first-class stone showroom today and discover how the beauty of granite can transform your living space!